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Cote d’Ivoire coach Jean-Louis Gasset has explained the reason behind his team’s 1-0 loss to the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the AFCON 2023.

Speaking after the match, Gasset said his team encountered difficulties breaking down the resolute Super Eagles.

“It was a very physical match. Nigeria chose to play very low with a five-man defense to exploit counterattacks with their star striker”, Gasset said.

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“It was a tightly contested match. We didn’t give the impression of being able to compete physically. We could not impose ourselves physically, but it was the small details that favored Nigeria…”

Cote d’Ivoire will face Equatorial Guinea in their final group game on Monday.

Meanwhile, Nigeria slug it out with Guinea-Bissau simultaneously. Both teams will be aiming to secure their spots in the next stage of the tournament.